This relates generally to processor graphics sometimes called graphics processors or graphics processing units.
Processor graphics are increasingly being exposed to workloads which require some degree of security. Security sensitive workloads on processor graphics have relied on the operating system to provide the necessary security. However, the increasing number of malware attacks suggest that these solutions are not meeting the security requirements for a number of workloads.
Examples of workloads that may need trust computation frameworks on graphics processing units include bank transactions where a browser offloads part of a transaction to a graphics engine, antivirus engines where part of the pattern matching is offloaded to graphics engine, and medical imaging. In addition, many non-security workloads need added security, such as computer aided design, and graphical and other workloads need unhampered execution in the presence of malware. In addition, security sensitive workloads are being offloaded to processor graphics due to the power, efficiency and performance improvements achieved by graphics processors. Examples may include cryptographic functions, pattern matching primitives, and face detection algorithms as well as certain workloads for mining, oil refineries, financial calculations and other calculations involving money.
Security sensitive workloads may need a trust framework on processor graphics that not only enforces the correctness of execution of the workload but also enables strict access control of the graphics assets to only authorized entities.
Generally, the output of a workload needs to be displayed on a display screen. The display engine is responsible for displaying an output buffer on the screen. The display engine is a relatively primitive device that does not support having a command streamer or support sophisticated commands. Its primary job is to scrape the buffer and paste it on a display screen. Thus the display of buffer contents creates an opportunity for malicious intervention.